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Rajeswarie RT, Mallik D, Gopal S. Lhermitte-Duclos Disease: A Rare Entity With Typical Histology but Ambiguous Histogenesis. Int J Surg Pathol 2024; 32:1113-1116. [PMID: 38073095 DOI: 10.1177/10668969231215816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R T Rajeswarie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine - Histopathology, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Dattatraya Mallik
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Neurosurgery, Sakra World Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Department of Neuroscience, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Swaroop Gopal
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Neurosurgery, Sakra World Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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2
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Yonan JM, Chen KD, Baram TZ, Steward O. PTEN Deletion in the Adult Dentate Gyrus Induces Epilepsy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.07.606938. [PMID: 39149280 PMCID: PMC11326251 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.07.606938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic and early postnatal promotor-driven deletion of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene results in neuronal hypertrophy, hyperexcitable circuitry and development of spontaneous seizures in adulthood. We previously documented that focal, vector-mediated PTEN deletion in mature granule cells of adult dentate gyrus triggers dramatic growth of cell bodies, dendrites, and axons, similar to that seen with early postnatal PTEN deletion. Here, we assess the functional consequences of focal, adult PTEN deletion, focusing on its pro-epileptogenic potential. PTEN deletion was accomplished by injecting AAV-Cre either bilaterally or unilaterally into the dentate gyrus of double transgenic PTEN-floxed, ROSA-reporter mice. Hippocampal recording electrodes were implanted for continuous digital EEG with concurrent video recordings in the home cage. Electrographic seizures and epileptiform spikes were assessed manually by two investigators, and corelated with concurrent videos. Spontaneous electrographic and behavioral seizures appeared after focal PTEN deletion in adult dentate granule cells, commencing around 2 months post-AAV-Cre injection. Seizures occurred in the majority of mice with unilateral or bilateral PTEN deletion and led to death in several cases. PTEN-deletion provoked epilepsy was not associated with apparent hippocampal neuron death; supra-granular mossy fiber sprouting was observed in a few mice. In summary, focal, unilateral deletion of PTEN in the adult dentate gyrus suffices to provoke time-dependent emergence of a hyperexcitable circuit generating hippocampus-origin, generalizing spontaneous seizures, providing a novel model for studies of adult-onset epileptogenesis.
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Rybiczka-Tešulov M, Garritsen O, Venø MT, Wieg L, Dijk RV, Rahimi K, Gomes-Duarte A, Wit MD, van de Haar LL, Michels L, van Kronenburg NCH, van der Meer C, Kjems J, Vangoor VR, Pasterkamp RJ. Circular RNAs regulate neuron size and migration of midbrain dopamine neurons during development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6773. [PMID: 39117691 PMCID: PMC11310423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51041-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons play an essential role in cognitive and motor behaviours and are linked to different brain disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their development, and in particular the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), remain incompletely understood. Here, we establish the transcriptomic landscape and alternative splicing patterns of circular RNAs (circRNAs) at key developmental timepoints in mouse mDA neurons in vivo using fluorescence-activated cell sorting followed by short- and long-read RNA sequencing. In situ hybridisation shows expression of several circRNAs during early mDA neuron development and post-transcriptional silencing unveils roles for different circRNAs in regulating mDA neuron morphology. Finally, in utero electroporation and time-lapse imaging implicate circRmst, a circRNA with widespread morphological effects, in the migration of developing mDA neurons in vivo. Together, these data for the first time suggest a functional role for circRNAs in developing mDA neurons and characterise poorly defined aspects of mDA neuron development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateja Rybiczka-Tešulov
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oxana Garritsen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Morten T Venø
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Omiics ApS, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Laura Wieg
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roland van Dijk
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- VectorY Therapeutics, Matrix Innovation Center VI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karim Rahimi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, MA, Boston, USA
| | - Andreia Gomes-Duarte
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- VectorY Therapeutics, Matrix Innovation Center VI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marina de Wit
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lieke L van de Haar
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Michels
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- VectorY Therapeutics, Matrix Innovation Center VI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicky C H van Kronenburg
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan van der Meer
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jørgen Kjems
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Vamshidhar R Vangoor
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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4
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Le Belle JE, Condro M, Cepeda C, Oikonomou KD, Tessema K, Dudley L, Schoenfield J, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind D, Silva AJ, Zhang Z, Shokat K, Harris NG, Kornblum HI. Acute rapamycin treatment reveals novel mechanisms of behavioral, physiological, and functional dysfunction in a maternal inflammation mouse model of autism and sensory over-responsivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602602. [PMID: 39026891 PMCID: PMC11257517 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Maternal inflammatory response (MIR) during early gestation in mice induces a cascade of physiological and behavioral changes that have been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a prior study and the current one, we find that mild MIR results in chronic systemic and neuro-inflammation, mTOR pathway activation, mild brain overgrowth followed by regionally specific volumetric changes, sensory processing dysregulation, and social and repetitive behavior abnormalities. Prior studies of rapamycin treatment in autism models have focused on chronic treatments that might be expected to alter or prevent physical brain changes. Here, we have focused on the acute effects of rapamycin to uncover novel mechanisms of dysfunction and related to mTOR pathway signaling. We find that within 2 hours, rapamycin treatment could rapidly rescue neuronal hyper-excitability, seizure susceptibility, functional network connectivity and brain community structure, and repetitive behaviors and sensory over-responsivity in adult offspring with persistent brain overgrowth. These CNS-mediated effects are also associated with alteration of the expression of several ASD-,ion channel-, and epilepsy-associated genes, in the same time frame. Our findings suggest that mTOR dysregulation in MIR offspring is a key contributor to various levels of brain dysfunction, including neuronal excitability, altered gene expression in multiple cell types, sensory functional network connectivity, and modulation of information flow. However, we demonstrate that the adult MIR brain is also amenable to rapid normalization of these functional changes which results in the rescue of both core and comorbid ASD behaviors in adult animals without requiring long-term physical alterations to the brain. Thus, restoring excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and sensory functional network modularity may be important targets for therapeutically addressing both primary sensory and social behavior phenotypes, and compensatory repetitive behavior phenotypes.
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5
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Gambini D, Ferrero S, Bulfamante G, Pisani L, Corbo M, Kuhn E. Cerebellar phenotypes in germline PTEN mutation carriers. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2024; 50:e12970. [PMID: 38504418 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
PTEN hamartoma tumour syndrome (PHTS) comprises different hereditary conditions caused by germline PTEN mutations, predisposing to the development of multiple hamartomas in many body tissues and also increasing the risk of some types of cancer. Cerebellar involvement in PHTS patients has been long known due to the development of a pathognomonic cerebellar hamartoma (known as dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum or Lhermitte-Duclos disease). Recently, a crucial role of the cerebellum has been highlighted in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders, now recognised as a phenotype expressed in a variable percentage of PHTS children. In addition, rare PTEN variants are indeed identified in medulloblastoma as well, even if they are less frequent than other germline gene mutations. The importance of PTEN and its downstream signalling enzymatic pathways, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, has been studied at different levels in both human clinical settings and animal models, not only leading to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of different disorders but, most importantly, to identify potential targets for specific therapies. In particular, PTEN integrity makes an important contribution to the normal development of tissue architecture in the nervous system, including the cerebellum. Thus, in patients with PTEN germline mutations, the cerebellum is an affected organ that is increasingly recognised in different disorders, whereas, in animal models, cerebellar Pten loss causes a variety of functional and histological alterations. In this review, we summarise the range of cerebellar involvement observed in PHTS and its relationships with germline PTEN mutations, along with the phenotypes expressed by murine models with PTEN deficiency in cerebellar tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Gambini
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura Igea, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Ferrero
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Pathology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaetano Bulfamante
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Human Pathology and Molecular Pathology Unit, TOMA Advanced Biomedical Assays, Busto Arsizio, Italy
| | - Luigi Pisani
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura Igea, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Corbo
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura Igea, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Kuhn
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Pathology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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6
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Latchney SE, Ruiz Lopez BR, Womble PD, Blandin KJ, Lugo JN. Neuronal deletion of phosphatase and tensin homolog in mice results in spatial dysregulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1308066. [PMID: 38130682 PMCID: PMC10733516 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1308066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis is a persistent phenomenon in mammals that occurs in select brain structures in both healthy and diseased brains. The tumor suppressor gene, phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (Pten) has previously been found to restrict the proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in vivo. In this study, we aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of how conditional deletion of Pten may regulate the genesis of adult NSPCs in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone bordering the lateral ventricles. Using conventional markers and stereology, we quantified multiple stages of neurogenesis, including proliferating cells, immature neurons (neuroblasts), and apoptotic cells in several regions of the dentate gyrus, including the subgranular zone (SGZ), outer granule cell layer (oGCL), molecular layer, and hilus at 4 and 10 weeks of age. Our data demonstrate that conditional deletion of Pten in mice produces successive increases in dentate gyrus proliferating cells and immature neuroblasts, which confirms the known negative roles Pten has on cell proliferation and maturation. Specifically, we observe a significant increase in Ki67+ proliferating cells in the neurogenic SGZ at 4 weeks of age, but not 10 weeks of age. We also observe a delayed increase in neuroblasts at 10 weeks of age. However, our study expands on previous work by providing temporal, subregional, and neurogenesis-stage resolution. Specifically, we found that Pten deletion initially increases cell proliferation in the neurogenic SGZ, but this increase spreads to non-neurogenic dentate gyrus areas, including the hilus, oGCL, and molecular layer, as mice age. We also observed region-specific increases in apoptotic cells in the dentate gyrus hilar region that paralleled the regional increases in Ki67+ cells. Our work is accordant with the literature showing that Pten serves as a negative regulator of dentate gyrus neurogenesis but adds temporal and spatial components to the existing knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Latchney
- Department of Biology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD, United States
| | - Brayan R. Ruiz Lopez
- Department of Biology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD, United States
| | - Paige D. Womble
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
| | - Katherine J. Blandin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
| | - Joaquin N. Lugo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
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7
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Levitin MO, Rawlins LE, Sanchez-Andrade G, Arshad OA, Collins SC, Sawiak SJ, Iffland PH, Andersson MHL, Bupp C, Cambridge EL, Coomber EL, Ellis I, Herkert JC, Ironfield H, Jory L, Kretz PF, Kant SG, Neaverson A, Nibbeling E, Rowley C, Relton E, Sanderson M, Scott EM, Stewart H, Shuen AY, Schreiber J, Tuck L, Tonks J, Terkelsen T, van Ravenswaaij-Arts C, Vasudevan P, Wenger O, Wright M, Day A, Hunter A, Patel M, Lelliott CJ, Crino PB, Yalcin B, Crosby AH, Baple EL, Logan DW, Hurles ME, Gerety SS. Models of KPTN-related disorder implicate mTOR signalling in cognitive and overgrowth phenotypes. Brain 2023; 146:4766-4783. [PMID: 37437211 PMCID: PMC10629792 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
KPTN-related disorder is an autosomal recessive disorder associated with germline variants in KPTN (previously known as kaptin), a component of the mTOR regulatory complex KICSTOR. To gain further insights into the pathogenesis of KPTN-related disorder, we analysed mouse knockout and human stem cell KPTN loss-of-function models. Kptn -/- mice display many of the key KPTN-related disorder phenotypes, including brain overgrowth, behavioural abnormalities, and cognitive deficits. By assessment of affected individuals, we have identified widespread cognitive deficits (n = 6) and postnatal onset of brain overgrowth (n = 19). By analysing head size data from their parents (n = 24), we have identified a previously unrecognized KPTN dosage-sensitivity, resulting in increased head circumference in heterozygous carriers of pathogenic KPTN variants. Molecular and structural analysis of Kptn-/- mice revealed pathological changes, including differences in brain size, shape and cell numbers primarily due to abnormal postnatal brain development. Both the mouse and differentiated induced pluripotent stem cell models of the disorder display transcriptional and biochemical evidence for altered mTOR pathway signalling, supporting the role of KPTN in regulating mTORC1. By treatment in our KPTN mouse model, we found that the increased mTOR signalling downstream of KPTN is rapamycin sensitive, highlighting possible therapeutic avenues with currently available mTOR inhibitors. These findings place KPTN-related disorder in the broader group of mTORC1-related disorders affecting brain structure, cognitive function and network integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria O Levitin
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Evox Therapeutics Limited, Oxford OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Lettie E Rawlins
- RILD Wellcome Wolfson Medical Research Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, UK
- Peninsula Clinical Genetics Service, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter EX1 2ED, UK
| | | | - Osama A Arshad
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Stephan C Collins
- INSERM Unit 1231, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon 21078, France
| | - Stephen J Sawiak
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Phillip H Iffland
- Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Malin H L Andersson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Caleb Bupp
- Spectrum Health, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Emma L Cambridge
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Eve L Coomber
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ian Ellis
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool L14 5AB, UK
| | - Johanna C Herkert
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Centre, University of Groningen, Groningen 9713 GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Holly Ironfield
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Logan Jory
- Haven Clinical Psychology Practice Ltd, Bude, Cornwall EX23 9HP, UK
| | | | - Sarina G Kant
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3015 GD, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Alexandra Neaverson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Esther Nibbeling
- Laboratory for Diagnostic Genome Analysis, Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Rowley
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Emily Relton
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7YH, UK
| | - Mark Sanderson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ethan M Scott
- New Leaf Center, Clinic for Special Children, Mount Eaton, OH 44659, USA
| | - Helen Stewart
- Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford OX3 7HE, UK
| | - Andrew Y Shuen
- London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - John Schreiber
- Department of Neurology, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington DC 20007, USA
| | - Liz Tuck
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - James Tonks
- Haven Clinical Psychology Practice Ltd, Bude, Cornwall EX23 9HP, UK
| | - Thorkild Terkelsen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus DK-8200, Denmark
| | - Conny van Ravenswaaij-Arts
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Centre, University of Groningen, Groningen 9713 GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Pradeep Vasudevan
- Department of Clinical Genetics, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Olivia Wenger
- New Leaf Center, Clinic for Special Children, Mount Eaton, OH 44659, USA
| | - Michael Wright
- Institute of Human Genetics, International Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Andrew Day
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Qkine Ltd., Cambridge CB5 8HW, UK
| | - Adam Hunter
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Minal Patel
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Christopher J Lelliott
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Peter B Crino
- Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Binnaz Yalcin
- INSERM Unit 1231, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon 21078, France
| | - Andrew H Crosby
- RILD Wellcome Wolfson Medical Research Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, UK
| | - Emma L Baple
- RILD Wellcome Wolfson Medical Research Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, UK
- Peninsula Clinical Genetics Service, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter EX1 2ED, UK
| | - Darren W Logan
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Waltham Petcare Science Institute, Waltham on the Wolds LE14 4RT, UK
| | - Matthew E Hurles
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Sebastian S Gerety
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
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Abstract
Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the methyl-CpG binding protein-2 (MeCP2) gene that is characterized by epilepsy, intellectual disability, autistic features, speech deficits, and sleep and breathing abnormalities. Neurologically, patients with all three disorders display microcephaly, aberrant dendritic morphology, reduced spine density, and an imbalance of excitatory/inhibitory signaling. Loss-of-function mutations in the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) and FOXG1 genes also cause similar behavioral and neurobiological defects and were referred to as congenital or variant Rett syndrome. The relatively recent realization that CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD), FOXG1 syndrome, and Rett syndrome are distinct neurodevelopmental disorders with some distinctive features have resulted in separate focus being placed on each disorder with the assumption that distinct molecular mechanisms underlie their pathogenesis. However, given that many of the core symptoms and neurological features are shared, it is likely that the disorders share some critical molecular underpinnings. This review discusses the possibility that deregulation of common molecules in neurons and astrocytes plays a central role in key behavioral and neurological abnormalities in all three disorders. These include KCC2, a chloride transporter, vGlut1, a vesicular glutamate transporter, GluD1, an orphan-glutamate receptor subunit, and PSD-95, a postsynaptic scaffolding protein. We propose that reduced expression or activity of KCC2, vGlut1, PSD-95, and AKT, along with increased expression of GluD1, is involved in the excitatory/inhibitory that represents a key aspect in all three disorders. In addition, astrocyte-derived brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and inflammatory cytokines likely affect the expression and functioning of these molecules resulting in disease-associated abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh R D’Mello
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71104, USA
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9
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Land R, Fetter R, Liang X, Tzeng CP, Taylor CA, Shen K. Endoplasmic Reticulum Exit Sites scale with somato-dendritic size in neurons. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar106. [PMID: 37556208 PMCID: PMC10559313 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-03-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems exhibit dramatic diversity in cell morphology and size. How neurons regulate their biosynthetic and secretory machinery to support such diversity is not well understood. Endoplasmic reticulum exit sites (ERESs) are essential for maintaining secretory flux, and are required for normal dendrite development, but how neurons of different size regulate secretory capacity remains unknown. In Caenorhabditis elegans, we find that the ERES number is strongly correlated with the size of a neuron's dendritic arbor. The elaborately branched sensory neuron, PVD, has especially high ERES numbers. Asymmetric cell division provides PVD with a large initial cell size critical for rapid establishment of PVD's high ERES number before neurite outgrowth, and these ERESs are maintained throughout development. Maintenance of ERES number requires the cell fate transcription factor MEC-3, C. elegans TOR (ceTOR/let-363), and nutrient availability, with mec-3 and ceTOR/let-363 mutant PVDs both displaying reductions in ERES number, soma size, and dendrite size. Notably, mec-3 mutant animals exhibit reduced expression of a ceTOR/let-363 reporter in PVD, and starvation reduces ERES number and somato-dendritic size in a manner genetically redundant with ceTOR/let-363 perturbation. Our data suggest that both asymmetric cell division and nutrient sensing pathways regulate secretory capacities to support elaborate dendritic arbors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Land
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Neurosciences IDP, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Richard Fetter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Xing Liang
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Christopher P. Tzeng
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Caitlin A. Taylor
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Kang Shen
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
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10
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Fernandez A, Sarn N, Eng C, Wright KM. Intrinsic control of DRG sensory neuron diversification by Pten. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.552039. [PMID: 37781577 PMCID: PMC10541114 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.552039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) modulates intracellular survival and differentiation signaling pathways downstream of neurotrophin receptors in the developing peripheral nervous system (PNS). Although well-studied in the context of brain development, our understanding of the in vivo role of PTEN in the PNS is limited to models of neuropathic pain and nerve injury. Here, we assessed how alterations in PTEN signaling affects the development of peripheral somatosensory circuits. We found that sensory neurons within the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in Pten heterozygous ( Pten Het ) mice exhibit defects in neuronal subtype diversification. Abnormal DRG differentiation in Pten Het mice arises early in development, with subsets of neurons expressing both progenitor and neuronal markers. DRGs in Pten Het mice show dysregulation of both mTOR and GSK-3β signaling pathways downstream of PTEN. Finally, we show that mice with an autism-associated mutation in Pten ( Pten Y68H/+ ) show abnormal DRG development. Thus, we have discovered a crucial role for PTEN signaling in the intrinsic diversification of primary sensory neuron populations in the DRG during development.
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11
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Yonan JM, Steward O. Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 184:106190. [PMID: 37290578 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryonic and early postnatal deletion of the gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) results in neuronal hypertrophy, formation of aberrant neural networks and spontaneous seizures. Our previous studies document that deletion of PTEN in mature neurons also causes growth of cortical neuron cell bodies and dendrites, but it is unknown how this growth alters connectivity in mature circuits. Here, we explore consequences of deleting PTEN in a focal area of the dentate gyrus in adult male and female mice. PTEN deletion was accomplished by injecting AAV-Cre unilaterally into the dentate gyrus of double transgenic mice with lox-P sites flanking exon 5 of the PTEN gene and stop/flox tdTomato in the Rosa locus (PTENf/f/RosatdTomato). Focal deletion led to progressive increases in the size of the dentate gyrus at the injection site, enlargement of granule cell bodies, and increases in dendritic length and caliber. Quantitative analysis of dendrites by Golgi staining revealed dramatic increases in spine numbers throughout the proximo-distal extent of the dendritic tree, suggesting that dendritic growth is sufficient to induce new synapse formation by input neurons with intact PTEN expression. Tract tracing of input pathways to the dentate gyrus from the ipsilateral entorhinal cortex and commissural/associational system revealed that laminar specificity of termination of inputs is maintained. Mossy fiber axons from PTEN-deleted granule cells expanded their terminal field in CA3 where PTEN expression was intact and supra-granular mossy fibers developed in some mice. These findings document that persistent activation of mTOR via PTEN deletion in fully mature neurons re-initiates a state of robust cell-intrinsic growth, upending connectional homeostasis in fully mature hippocampal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Yonan
- Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California at Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Rd., Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; University of California at Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Oswald Steward
- Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California at Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Rd., Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; University of California at Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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12
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Narvaiz DA, Nolan SO, Smith GD, Holley AJ, Reynolds CD, Blandin KJ, Nguyen PH, Tran DLK, Lugo JN. Rapamycin improves social and stereotypic behavior abnormalities induced by pre-mitotic neuronal subset specific Pten deletion. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023:e12854. [PMID: 37376966 PMCID: PMC10393422 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is a signaling system integral to neural growth and migration. In both patients and rodent models, mutations to the phosphatase and tensin homolog gene (PTEN) on chromosome 10 results in hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway, as well as seizures, intellectual disabilities and autistic behaviors. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, can reverse the epileptic phenotype of neural subset specific Pten knockout (NS-Pten KO) mice, but its impact on behavior is not known. To determine the behavioral effects of rapamycin, male and female NS-Pten KO and wildtype (WT) mice were assigned as controls or administered 10 mg/kg of rapamycin for 2 weeks followed by behavioral testing. Rapamycin improved social behavior in both genotypes and stereotypic behaviors in NS-Pten KO mice. Rapamycin treatment resulted in a reduction of several measures of activity in the open field test in both genotypes. Rapamycin did not reverse the reduced anxiety behavior in KO mice. These data show the potential clinical use of mTOR inhibitors by showing its administration can reduce the production of autistic-like behaviors in NS-Pten KO mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Narvaiz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Suzanne O Nolan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Gregory D Smith
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew J Holley
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Conner D Reynolds
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Katherine J Blandin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Phuoc H Nguyen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Doan L K Tran
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Joaquin N Lugo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
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13
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Cheung SKK, Kwok J, Or PMY, Wong CW, Feng B, Choy KW, Chang RCC, Burbach JPH, Cheng ASL, Chan AM. Neuropathological signatures revealed by transcriptomic and proteomic analysis in Pten-deficient mouse models. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6763. [PMID: 37185447 PMCID: PMC10130134 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33869-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
PTEN hamartoma tumour syndrome is characterised by mutations in the human PTEN gene. We performed transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of neural tissues and primary cultures from heterozygous and homozygous Pten-knockout mice. The somatosensory cortex of heterozygous Pten-knockout mice was enriched in immune response and oligodendrocyte development Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Parallel proteomic analysis revealed differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) related to dendritic spine development, keratinisation and hamartoma signatures. However, primary astrocytes (ASTs) from heterozygous Pten-knockout mice were enriched in the extracellular matrix GO term, while primary cortical neurons (PCNs) were enriched in immediate-early genes. In ASTs from homozygous Pten-knockout mice, cilium-related activity was enriched, while PCNs exhibited downregulation of forebrain neuron generation and differentiation, implying an altered excitatory/inhibitory balance. By integrating DEPs with pre-filtered differentially expressed genes, we identified the enrichment of traits of intelligence, cognitive function and schizophrenia, while DEPs in ASTs were significantly associated with intelligence and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley K K Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Jacinda Kwok
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Penelope M Y Or
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Chi Wai Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Bo Feng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Kwong Wai Choy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Raymond C C Chang
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - J Peter H Burbach
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alfred S L Cheng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Andrew M Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4/F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
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14
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Pearson A, Ortiz C, Eisenbaum M, Arrate C, Browning M, Mullan M, Bachmeier C, Crawford F, Ojo JO. Deletion of PTEN in microglia ameliorates chronic neuroinflammation following repetitive mTBI. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103855. [PMID: 37084991 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in adults and children in developed nations. Following the primary injury, microglia, the resident innate immune cells of the CNS, initiate several inflammatory signaling cascades and pathophysiological responses that may persist chronically; chronic neuroinflammation following TBI has been closely linked to the development of neurodegeneration and neurological dysfunction. Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are a family of lipid kinases that have been shown to regulate several key mechanisms in the inflammatory response to TBI. Increasing evidence has shown that the modulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway has the potential to influence the cellular response to inflammatory stimuli. However, directly targeting PI3K signaling poses several challenges due to its regulatory role in several cell survival pathways. We have previously identified that the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), the major negative regulator of PI3K/AKT signaling, is dysregulated following exposure to repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (r-mTBI). Moreover, this dysregulated PI3K/AKT signaling was correlated with chronic microglial-mediated neuroinflammation. Therefore, we interrogated microglial-specific PTEN as a therapeutic target in TBI by generating a microglial-specific, Tamoxifen inducible conditional PTEN knockout model using a CX3CR1 Cre recombinase mouse line PTENfl/fl/CX3CR1+/CreERT2 (mcg-PTENcKO), and exposed them to our 20-hit r-mTBI paradigm. Animals were treated with tamoxifen at 76 days post-last injury, and the effects of microglia PTEN deletion on immune-inflammatory responses were assessed at 90-days post last injury. We observed that the deletion of microglial PTEN ameliorated the proinflammatory response to repetitive brain trauma, not only reducing chronic microglial activation and proinflammatory cytokine production but also rescuing TBI-induced reactive astrogliosis, demonstrating that these effects extended beyond microglia alone. Additionally, we observed that the pharmacological inhibition of PTEN with BpV(HOpic) ameliorated the LPS-induced activation of microglial NFκB signaling in vitro. Together, these data provide support for the role of PTEN as a regulator of chronic neuroinflammation following repetitive mild TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Pearson
- The Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Walton Hall, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom.
| | - Camila Ortiz
- The Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Walton Hall, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
| | - Max Eisenbaum
- The Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Walton Hall, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
| | - Clara Arrate
- The Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA
| | | | - Michael Mullan
- The Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Walton Hall, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
| | - Corbin Bachmeier
- The Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Walton Hall, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Crawford
- The Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Walton Hall, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom; James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, 13000 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Joseph O Ojo
- The Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Walton Hall, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
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15
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Activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway in Cajal–Retzius Cells Leads to Their Survival and Increases Susceptibility to Kainate-Induced Seizures. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065376. [PMID: 36982451 PMCID: PMC10048971 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cajal–Retzius cells (CRs) are a class of transient neurons in the mammalian cortex that play a critical role in cortical development. Neocortical CRs undergo almost complete elimination in the first two postnatal weeks in rodents and the persistence of CRs during postnatal life has been detected in pathological conditions related to epilepsy. However, it is unclear whether their persistence is a cause or consequence of these diseases. To decipher the molecular mechanisms involved in CR death, we investigated the contribution of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway as it plays a critical role in cell survival. We first showed that this pathway is less active in CRs after birth before massive cell death. We also explored the spatio-temporal activation of both AKT and mTOR pathways and reveal area-specific differences along both the rostro–caudal and medio–lateral axes. Next, using genetic approaches to maintain an active pathway in CRs, we found that the removal of either PTEN or TSC1, two negative regulators of the pathway, lead to differential CR survivals, with a stronger effect in the Pten model. Persistent cells in this latter mutant are still active. They express more Reelin and their persistence is associated with an increase in the duration of kainate-induced seizures in females. Altogether, we show that the decrease in PI3K/AKT/mTOR activity in CRs primes these cells to death by possibly repressing a survival pathway, with the mTORC1 branch contributing less to the phenotype.
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16
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mTORC2 Inhibition Improves Morphological Effects of PTEN Loss, But Does Not Correct Synaptic Dysfunction or Prevent Seizures. J Neurosci 2023; 43:827-845. [PMID: 36526374 PMCID: PMC9899090 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1354-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperactivation of PI3K/PTEN-mTOR signaling during neural development is associated with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), autism, and epilepsy. mTOR can signal through two major hubs, mTORC1 and mTORC2, both of which are hyperactive following PTEN loss of function (LOF). Here, we tested the hypothesis that genetic inactivation of the mTORC2 complex via deletion of Rictor is sufficient to rescue morphologic and electrophysiological abnormalities in the dentate gyrus caused by PTEN loss, as well as generalized seizures. An established, early postnatal mouse model of PTEN loss in male and female mice showed spontaneous seizures that were not prevented by mTORC2 inactivation. This lack of rescue occurred despite the normalization or amelioration of many morphologic and electrophysiological phenotypes. However, increased excitatory connectivity proximal to dentate gyrus granule neuron somas was not normalized by mTORC2 inactivation. Further studies demonstrated that, although mTORC2 inactivation largely rescued the dendritic arbor overgrowth caused by PTEN LOF, it increased synaptic strength and caused additional impairments of presynaptic function. These results suggest that a constrained increase in excitatory connectivity and co-occurring synaptic dysfunction is sufficient to generate seizures downstream of PTEN LOF, even in the absence of characteristic changes in morphologic properties.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Homozygous deletion of the Pten gene in neuronal subpopulations in the mouse serves as a valuable model of epilepsy caused by mTOR hyperactivation. To better understand the physiological mechanisms downstream of Pten loss that cause epilepsy, as well as the therapeutic potential of targeted gene therapies, we tested whether genetic inactivation of the mTORC2 complex could improve the cellular, synaptic, and in vivo effects of Pten loss in the dentate gyrus. We found that mTORC2 inhibition improved or rescued all morphologic effects of Pten loss in the dentate gyrus, but synaptic changes and seizures persisted. These data suggest that synaptic dysfunction can drive epilepsy caused by hyperactivation of PI3K/PTEN-mTOR, and that future therapies should focus on this mechanistic link.
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17
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Kasahara Y, Nakashima H, Nakashima K. Seizure-induced hilar ectopic granule cells in the adult dentate gyrus. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1150283. [PMID: 36937666 PMCID: PMC10017466 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1150283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by hypersynchronous spontaneous recurrent seizures, and affects approximately 50 million people worldwide. Cumulative evidence has revealed that epileptogenic insult temporarily increases neurogenesis in the hippocampus; however, a fraction of the newly generated neurons are integrated abnormally into the existing neural circuits. The abnormal neurogenesis, including ectopic localization of newborn neurons in the hilus, formation of abnormal basal dendrites, and disorganization of the apical dendrites, rewires hippocampal neural networks and leads to the development of spontaneous seizures. The central roles of hilar ectopic granule cells in regulating hippocampal excitability have been suggested. In this review, we introduce recent findings about the migration of newborn granule cells to the dentate hilus after seizures and the roles of seizure-induced ectopic granule cells in the epileptic brain. In addition, we delineate possible intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms underlying this abnormality. Finally, we suggest that the regulation of seizure-induced ectopic cells can be a promising target for epilepsy therapy and provide perspectives on future research directions.
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18
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Liu S, Tan C, Tyers M, Zetterberg A, Kafri R. What programs the size of animal cells? Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:949382. [PMID: 36393871 PMCID: PMC9665425 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.949382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The human body is programmed with definite quantities, magnitudes, and proportions. At the microscopic level, such definite sizes manifest in individual cells - different cell types are characterized by distinct cell sizes whereas cells of the same type are highly uniform in size. How do cells in a population maintain uniformity in cell size, and how are changes in target size programmed? A convergence of recent and historical studies suggest - just as a thermostat maintains room temperature - the size of proliferating animal cells is similarly maintained by homeostatic mechanisms. In this review, we first summarize old and new literature on the existence of cell size checkpoints, then discuss additional advances in the study of size homeostasis that involve feedback regulation of cellular growth rate. We further discuss recent progress on the molecules that underlie cell size checkpoints and mechanisms that specify target size setpoints. Lastly, we discuss a less-well explored teleological question: why does cell size matter and what is the functional importance of cell size control?
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixuan Liu
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Program in Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Shixuan Liu, ; Ran Kafri,
| | - Ceryl Tan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Program in Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mike Tyers
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Anders Zetterberg
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ran Kafri
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Program in Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: Shixuan Liu, ; Ran Kafri,
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19
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Song MS, Pandolfi PP. The HECT family of E3 ubiquitin ligases and PTEN. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 85:43-51. [PMID: 34129913 PMCID: PMC8665946 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Members of the HECT family of E3 ubiquitin ligases have emerged as prominent regulators of PTEN function, subcellular localization and levels. In turn this unfolding regulatory network is allowing for the identification of genes directly involved in both tumorigenesis at large and cancer susceptibility syndromes. While the complexity of this regulatory network is still being unraveled, these new findings are paving the way for novel therapeutic modalities for cancer prevention and therapy as well as for other diseases. Here we will review the signal transduction and therapeutic implications of the cross-talk between HECT family members and PTEN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Sup Song
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030, USA.
| | - Pier Paolo Pandolfi
- Renown Institute for Cancer, Nevada System of Higher Education, Reno, NV89502, USA.
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20
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Liu B, Jing Z, Zhang X, Chen Y, Mao S, Kaundal R, Zou Y, Wei G, Zang Y, Wang X, Lin W, Di M, Sun Y, Chen Q, Li Y, Xia J, Sun J, Lin CP, Huang X, Chi T. Large-scale multiplexed mosaic CRISPR perturbation in the whole organism. Cell 2022; 185:3008-3024.e16. [PMID: 35870449 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Here, we report inducible mosaic animal for perturbation (iMAP), a transgenic platform enabling in situ CRISPR targeting of at least 100 genes in parallel throughout the mouse body. iMAP combines Cre-loxP and CRISPR-Cas9 technologies and utilizes a germline-transmitted transgene carrying a large array of individually floxed, tandemly linked gRNA-coding units. Cre-mediated recombination triggers expression of all the gRNAs in the array but only one of them per cell, converting the mice to mosaic organisms suitable for phenotypic characterization and also for high-throughput derivation of conventional single-gene perturbation lines via breeding. Using gRNA representation as a readout, we mapped a miniature Perturb-Atlas cataloging the perturbations of 90 genes across 39 tissues, which yields rich insights into context-dependent gene functions and provides a glimpse of the potential of iMAP in genome decoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhengyu Jing
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiaoming Zhang
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Shaoshuai Mao
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ravinder Kaundal
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yan Zou
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ge Wei
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ying Zang
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wenyang Lin
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Minghui Di
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yiwen Sun
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qin Chen
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yongqin Li
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jing Xia
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jianlong Sun
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Chao-Po Lin
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xingxu Huang
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Tian Chi
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Department of Immunobiology, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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21
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Narvaiz DA, Sullens DG, Santana-Coelho D, Lugo JN. Neuronal subset-specific phosphatase and tensin homolog knockout mice exhibit age and brain region-associated alterations in microglia/macrophage activation. Neuroreport 2022; 33:476-480. [PMID: 35775322 PMCID: PMC9479702 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Seizures induce brain region-dependent enhancements in microglia/macrophage activation. Neuronal subset-specific phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) knockout (KO) mice display hyperactive mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and cortex followed by seizures that increase in severity with age. To determine if KO mice also exhibit alterations in the spatiotemporal activation pattern of microglia, we used flow cytometry to compare the percentage of major histocompatibility complex-II activated microglia/macrophages between KO and wildtype (WT) mice at 5, 10, and 15 weeks of age. At 5 weeks, microglia/macrophage activation was greater in the cortex, P < 0.001, cerebellum, P < 0.001, and hippocampus, P < 0.001, of KO compared to WT mice. At 10 weeks, activation was greatest in the cortex of KO mice, P < 0.001, in the cerebellum of WT mice, P < 0.001, but similar in the hippocampus, P > 0.05. By 15 weeks, activation in the hippocampus was more than 25 times greater in KO mice compared to WT mice, P < 0.001. We show that hyperactive mTOR signaling is associated with an altered spatiotemporal pattern of microglia/macrophage activation in the brain and induces an enhanced neuroimmune response in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Narvaiz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798 USA
| | - D. Gregory Sullens
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798 USA
| | | | - Joaquin N. Lugo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798 USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798 USA
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798 USA
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22
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Ledderose JMT, Benitez JA, Roberts AJ, Reed R, Bintig W, Larkum ME, Sachdev RNS, Furnari F, Eickholt BJ. The impact of phosphorylated PTEN at threonine 366 on cortical connectivity and behaviour. Brain 2022; 145:3608-3621. [PMID: 35603900 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The lipid phosphatase PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue on chromosome 10) is a key tumour suppressor gene and an important regulator of neuronal signalling. PTEN mutations have been identified in patients with autism spectrum disorders, characterized by macrocephaly, impaired social interactions and communication, repetitive behaviour, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. PTEN enzymatic activity is regulated by a cluster of phosphorylation sites at the C-terminus of the protein. Here, we focussed on the role of PTEN T366 phosphorylation and generated a knock-in mouse line in which Pten T366 was substituted with alanine (PtenT366A/T366A). We identify that phosphorylation of PTEN at T366 controls neuron size and connectivity of brain circuits involved in sensory processing. We show in behavioural tests that PtenT366/T366A mice exhibit cognitive deficits and selective sensory impairments, with significant differences in male individuals. We identify restricted cellular overgrowth of cortical neurons in PtenT366A/T366A brains, linked to increases in both dendritic arborization and soma size. In a combinatorial approach of anterograde and retrograde monosynaptic tracing using rabies virus, we characterize differences in connectivity to the primary somatosensory cortex of PtenT366A/T366A brains, with imbalances in long-range cortico-cortical input to neurons. We conclude that phosphorylation of PTEN at T366 controls neuron size and connectivity of brain circuits involved in sensory processing and propose that PTEN T366 signalling may account for a subset of autism-related functions of PTEN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M T Ledderose
- Institute for Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.,Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jorge A Benitez
- Bristol Myers Squibb, 10300 Campus Point Drive, Suite 100, San Diego, California, 92121, USA
| | - Amanda J Roberts
- The Scripps Research Institute, Animal Models Core, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Rachel Reed
- Bristol Myers Squibb, 10300 Campus Point Drive, Suite 100, San Diego, California, 92121, USA
| | - Willem Bintig
- Institute for Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthew E Larkum
- Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Frank Furnari
- Ludwig Cancer Institute, San Diego, USA.,University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Britta J Eickholt
- Institute for Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.,Neurocure Center for Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
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23
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Sathyanarayana SH, Saunders JA, Slaughter J, Tariq K, Chakrabarti R, Sadanandappa MK, Luikart BW, Bosco G. Pten heterozygosity restores neuronal morphology in fragile X syndrome mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2109448119. [PMID: 35394871 PMCID: PMC9169627 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109448119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic studies of hippocampal granule neuron development have been used to elucidate cellular functions of Pten and Fmr1. While mutations in each gene cause neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and fragile X syndrome, how Pten and Fmr1 function alone or together during normal development is not known. Moreover, Pten mRNA is bound by the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) RNA binding protein, but how this physical interaction impinges on phosphatase and tensin homolog protein (PTEN) expression is not known. To understand the interaction of PTEN and FMRP, we investigated the dentate gyrus granule neuron development in Pten and Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice. Interestingly, heterozygosity of Pten restored Fmr1 KO cellular phenotypes, including dendritic arborization, and spine density, while PTEN protein expression was significantly increased in Fmr1 KO animals. However, complete deletion of both Pten and Fmr1 resulted in a dramatic increase in dendritic length, spine density, and spine length. In addition, overexpression of PTEN in Fmr1 KO Pten heterozygous background reduced dendritic length, arborization, spine density, and spine length including pS6 levels. Our findings suggest that PTEN levels are negatively regulated by FMRP, and some Fmr1 KO phenotypes are caused by dysregulation of PTEN protein. These observations provide evidence for the genetic interaction of PTEN and FMRP and a possible mechanistic basis for the pathogenesis of Fmr1-related fragile X neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jasmine A. Saunders
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Jacob Slaughter
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Kamran Tariq
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Rajarshi Chakrabarti
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Madhumala K. Sadanandappa
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Bryan W. Luikart
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Giovanni Bosco
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
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24
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Mapelli L, Soda T, D’Angelo E, Prestori F. The Cerebellar Involvement in Autism Spectrum Disorders: From the Social Brain to Mouse Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073894. [PMID: 35409253 PMCID: PMC8998980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders that include a variety of forms and clinical phenotypes. This heterogeneity complicates the clinical and experimental approaches to ASD etiology and pathophysiology. To date, a unifying theory of these diseases is still missing. Nevertheless, the intense work of researchers and clinicians in the last decades has identified some ASD hallmarks and the primary brain areas involved. Not surprisingly, the areas that are part of the so-called “social brain”, and those strictly connected to them, were found to be crucial, such as the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, limbic system, and dopaminergic pathways. With the recent acknowledgment of the cerebellar contribution to cognitive functions and the social brain, its involvement in ASD has become unmistakable, though its extent is still to be elucidated. In most cases, significant advances were made possible by recent technological developments in structural/functional assessment of the human brain and by using mouse models of ASD. Mouse models are an invaluable tool to get insights into the molecular and cellular counterparts of the disease, acting on the specific genetic background generating ASD-like phenotype. Given the multifaceted nature of ASD and related studies, it is often difficult to navigate the literature and limit the huge content to specific questions. This review fulfills the need for an organized, clear, and state-of-the-art perspective on cerebellar involvement in ASD, from its connections to the social brain areas (which are the primary sites of ASD impairments) to the use of monogenic mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.S.); (E.D.)
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (F.P.)
| | - Teresa Soda
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.S.); (E.D.)
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.S.); (E.D.)
- Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Prestori
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.S.); (E.D.)
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (F.P.)
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25
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Kato T, Igarashi A, Sesaki H, Iijima M. Generating a new mouse model for nuclear PTEN deficiency by a single K13R mutation. Genes Cells 2021; 26:1014-1022. [PMID: 34661323 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Many human diseases, including cancer and neurological abnormalities, are linked to deficiencies of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN), a dual phosphatase that dephosphorylates both lipids and proteins. PTEN functions in multiple intracellular locations, including the plasma membrane and nucleus. Therefore, a critical challenge to understand the pathogenesis of PTEN-associated diseases is to determine the specific role of PTEN at different locations. Toward this goal, the current study generated a mouse line in which lysine 13, which is critical for the nuclear localization of PTEN, is changed to arginine in the lipid-binding domain using the CRISPR-Ca9 gene-editing system. We found that PTENK13R mice show a strong decrease in the localization of PTEN in the nucleus without affecting the protein stability, phosphatase activity, and phosphorylation in the C-terminal tail region. PTENK13R mice are viable but produce smaller neurons and develop microcephaly. These data demonstrate that PTENK13R mice provide a useful animal model to study the role of PTEN in the nucleus in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kato
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Yasuda Women's University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Atsushi Igarashi
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hiromi Sesaki
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Miho Iijima
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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26
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PTEN mutations in autism spectrum disorder and congenital hydrocephalus: developmental pleiotropy and therapeutic targets. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:961-976. [PMID: 34625286 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The lack of effective treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and congenital hydrocephalus (CH) reflects the limited understanding of the biology underlying these common neurodevelopmental disorders. Although ASD and CH have been extensively studied as independent entities, recent human genomic and preclinical animal studies have uncovered shared molecular pathophysiology. Here, we review and discuss phenotypic, genomic, and molecular similarities between ASD and CH, and identify the PTEN-PI3K-mTOR (phosphatase and tensin homolog-phosphoinositide 3-kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway as a common underlying mechanism that holds diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic promise for individuals with ASD and CH.
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27
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Chai AP, Chen XF, Xu XS, Zhang N, Li M, Li JN, Zhang L, Zhang D, Zhang X, Mao RR, Ding YQ, Xu L, Zhou QX. A Temporal Activity of CA1 Neurons Underlying Short-Term Memory for Social Recognition Altered in PTEN Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:699315. [PMID: 34335191 PMCID: PMC8319669 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.699315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory-guided social recognition identifies someone from previous encounters or experiences, but the mechanisms of social memory remain unclear. Here, we find that a short-term memory from experiencing a stranger mouse lasting under 30 min interval is essential for subsequent social recognition in mice, but that interval prolonged to hours by replacing the stranger mouse with a familiar littermate. Optogenetic silencing of dorsal CA1 neuronal activity during trials or inter-trial intervals disrupted short-term memory-guided social recognition, without affecting the ability of being sociable or long-term memory-guided social recognition. Postnatal knockdown or knockout of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-associated phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene in dorsal hippocampal CA1 similarly impaired neuronal firing rate in vitro and altered firing pattern during social recognition. These PTEN mice showed deficits in social recognition with stranger mouse rather than littermate and exhibited impairment in T-maze spontaneous alternation task for testing short-term spatial memory. Thus, we suggest that a temporal activity of dorsal CA1 neurons may underlie formation of short-term memory to be critical for organizing subsequent social recognition but that is possibly disrupted in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Ping Chai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xue-Feng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiao-Shan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Na Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Meng Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Jin-Nan Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital of Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rong-Rong Mao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yu-Qiang Ding
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi-Xin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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28
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Chmielewska JJ, Burkardt D, Granadillo JL, Slaugh R, Morgan S, Rotenberg J, Keren B, Mignot C, Escobar L, Turnpenny P, Zuteck M, Seaver LH, Ploski R, Dziembowska M, Wynshaw-Boris A, Adegbola A. PTPN4 germline variants result in aberrant neurodevelopment and growth. HGG ADVANCES 2021; 2:100033. [PMID: 34527963 PMCID: PMC8439436 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2021.100033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are pleomorphic regulators of eukaryotic cellular responses to extracellular signals that function by modulating the phosphotyrosine of specific proteins. A handful of PTPs have been implicated in germline and somatic human disease. Using exome sequencing, we identified missense and truncating variants in PTPN4 in six unrelated individuals with varying degrees of intellectual disability or developmental delay. The variants occurred de novo in all five subjects in whom segregation analysis was possible. Recurring features include postnatal growth deficiency or excess, seizures, and, less commonly, structural CNS, heart, or skeletal anomalies. PTPN4 is a widely expressed protein tyrosine phosphatase that regulates neuronal cell homeostasis by protecting neurons against apoptosis. We suggest that pathogenic variants in PTPN4 confer risk for growth and cognitive abnormalities in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna J. Chmielewska
- Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Synaptic Plasticity, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Deepika Burkardt
- Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jorge Luis Granadillo
- Division of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rachel Slaugh
- Division of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | | - Boris Keren
- Département de Génétique, APHP, Sorbonne Université, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Cyril Mignot
- Département de Génétique, APHP, Sorbonne Université, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Centre de Référence Déficiences Intellectuelles de Causes Rares, Paris, France
| | - Luis Escobar
- Medical Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Center, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Peter Turnpenny
- University of Exeter Medical School and Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK
| | - Melissa Zuteck
- Medical Genetics and Genomics, Spectrum Health/Helen Devos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Laurie H. Seaver
- Medical Genetics and Genomics, Spectrum Health/Helen Devos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Rafal Ploski
- Department of Medical Genetics, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Dziembowska
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Synaptic Plasticity, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anthony Wynshaw-Boris
- Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Abidemi Adegbola
- Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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29
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Grencewicz DJ, Romigh T, Thacker S, Abbas A, Jaini R, Luse D, Eng C. Redefining the PTEN promoter: Identification of novel upstream transcription start regions. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:2135-2148. [PMID: 34218272 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Germline mutation of PTEN is causally observed in Cowden syndrome (CS) and is one of the most common, penetrant risk genes for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the majority of individuals who present with CS-like clinical features are PTEN-mutation negative. Reassessment of PTEN promoter regulation may help explain abnormal PTEN dosage, as only the minimal promoter and coding regions are currently included in diagnostic PTEN mutation analysis. Therefore, we reanalyzed the architecture of the PTEN promoter using next-generation sequencing datasets. Specifically, run-on sequencing assays identified two additional transcription start regions (TSRs) at -2053 and - 1906 basepairs from the canonical start of PTEN, thus extending the PTEN 5'UTR and redefining the PTEN promoter. We show that these novel upstream TSRs are active in cancer cell lines, human cancer, and normal tissue. Further, these TSRs can produce novel PTEN transcripts due to the introduction of new splice donors at -2041, -1826, and - 1355, which may allow for splicing out of the PTEN 5'UTR or the first and second exon in upstream-initiated transcripts. Combining ENCODE ChIP-seq and pertinent literature, we also compile and analyze all transcription factors (TFs) binding at the redefined PTEN locus. Enrichment analyses suggest that TFs bind specifically to the upstream TSRs may be implicated in inflammatory processes. Together, these data redefine the architecture of the PTEN promoter, an important step toward a comprehensive model of PTEN transcription regulation, a basis for future investigations into the new promoters' role in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis J Grencewicz
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Todd Romigh
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.,Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Stetson Thacker
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ata Abbas
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Developmental Therapeutics Program, CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ritika Jaini
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Developmental Therapeutics Program, CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Germline High Risk Focus Group, CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Donal Luse
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Germline High Risk Focus Group, CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare, Cleveland Clinic Community Care and Population Health, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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30
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Shen Y, Chen L, Zhang Y, Du J, Hu J, Bao H, Xing Y, Si Y. Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog Deleted on Chromosome Ten Knockdown Attenuates Cognitive Deficits by Inhibiting Neuroinflammation in a Mouse Model of Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorder. Neuroscience 2021; 468:199-210. [PMID: 34166762 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is a crucial regulator of neuronal development, neuronal survival, axonal regeneration, and synaptic plasticity. In this study we examined the potential role of PTEN in cognitive function in a mouse model of perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND). Adult male C57BL/6J mice received intracerebroventricular injections of small interfering RNA (siRNA) against PTEN or control siRNA 3 days prior to exploratory laparotomy (n = 8 per group). A group of healthy mice not undergoing surgery included as additional control. Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests were conducted 7 days after surgery. Mice were then sacrificed to examine the expression of PTEN, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule (Iba)-1, B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2, Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax), interleukin (IL)-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the hippocampus. The microglial activation was examined by immunohistochemistry using Iba-1 as a microglia maker. Nissl and terminal transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining were used to measure cell death and apoptosis. In comparison to the healthy controls, surgically treated mice had longer latency to identify the target box in both training and testing sessions in the Barnes maze test and shorter freezing time in the fear conditioning test. Surgically treated mice had increased expression of PTEN, AMPK, Bax, IL-1β, and TNF-α, as well as increasing number of activated microglia and apoptosis neurons in the hippocampus. PTEN knockdown significantly attenuated the behavioral deficits in Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests, as well as over-expression of PTEN, AMPK, Bax, IL-1β, and TNF-α induced by surgery. PTEN knockdown could attenuate cognitive deficits induced by trauma, likely through inhibiting the activation of microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Shen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihai Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayue Du
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongguang Bao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Xing
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211118, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanna Si
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, People's Republic of China.
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31
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Pirozzi F, Lee B, Horsley N, Burkardt DD, Dobyns WB, Graham JM, Dentici ML, Cesario C, Schallner J, Porrmann J, Di Donato N, Sanchez-Lara PA, Mirzaa GM. Proximal variants in CCND2 associated with microcephaly, short stature, and developmental delay: A case series and review of inverse brain growth phenotypes. Am J Med Genet A 2021; 185:2719-2738. [PMID: 34087052 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Cyclin D2 (CCND2) is a critical cell cycle regulator and key member of the cyclin D2-CDK4 (DC) complex. De novo variants of CCND2 clustering in the distal part of the protein have been identified as pathogenic causes of brain overgrowth (megalencephaly, MEG) and severe cortical malformations in children including the megalencephaly-polymicrogyria-polydactyly-hydrocephalus (MPPH) syndrome. Megalencephaly-associated CCND2 variants are localized to the terminal exon and result in accumulation of degradation-resistant protein. We identified five individuals from three unrelated families with novel variants in the proximal region of CCND2 associated with microcephaly, mildly simplified cortical gyral pattern, symmetric short stature, and mild developmental delay. Identified variants include de novo frameshift variants and a dominantly inherited stop-gain variant segregating with the phenotype. This is the first reported association between proximal CCND2 variants and microcephaly, to our knowledge. This series expands the phenotypic spectrum of CCND2-related disorders and suggests that distinct classes of CCND2 variants are associated with reciprocal effects on human brain growth (microcephaly and megalencephaly due to possible loss or gain of protein function, respectively), adding to the growing paradigm of inverse phenotypes due to dysregulation of key brain growth genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomena Pirozzi
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Benson Lee
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nicole Horsley
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Deepika D Burkardt
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - William B Dobyns
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - John M Graham
- Medical Genetics Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Maria L Dentici
- Medical Genetics Unit, Academic Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCSS, Rome, Italy.,Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Cesario
- Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Jens Schallner
- Department of Neuropediatrics, School of Medicine, Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joseph Porrmann
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, University Hospital, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nataliya Di Donato
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, University Hospital, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Pedro A Sanchez-Lara
- Medical Genetics Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ghayda M Mirzaa
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Brotman-Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Igarashi A, Kato T, Sesaki H, Iijima M. Nuclear PTEN deficiency and heterozygous PTEN loss have distinct impacts on brain and lymph node size. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 555:81-88. [PMID: 33813280 PMCID: PMC8085137 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.03.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Defects in PTEN, a critical tumor suppressor, are associated with tumorigenesis and aberrant organ sizes. It has been shown that heterozygous PTEN loss increases brains and neuron size, while the specific loss of nuclear PTEN has the opposite effect. Here, we investigate the impact of a combination of heterozygous PTEN loss and nuclear PTEN loss on the size of various organs, including the brain, liver, thymus, spleen, and inguinal lymph node. We found that the effect of the combination varies among organs. Notably, the combination of heterozygous PTEN loss and nuclear PTEN loss restored the normal size of brains and neurons. In contrast, the liver's size was unaffected by either single PTEN defects or their combination. Strikingly, the size of the inguinal lymph node was greatly increased due to lymphoma by the combination of the two PTEN defects. These data suggest that nuclear PTEN and non-nuclear PTEN function in an antagonistic manner in the brain while acting synergistically in the inguinal lymph node.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Igarashi
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Takashi Kato
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hiromi Sesaki
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Miho Iijima
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Longo F, Klann E. Reciprocal control of translation and transcription in autism spectrum disorder. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e52110. [PMID: 33977633 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202052110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted patterns of interest and repetitive behaviors. ASD is genetically heterogeneous and is believed to be caused by both inheritable and de novo gene variations. Studies have revealed an extremely complex genetic landscape of ASD, favoring the idea that mutations in different clusters of genes interfere with interconnected downstream signaling pathways and circuitry, resulting in aberrant behavior. In this review, we describe a select group of candidate genes that represent both syndromic and non-syndromic forms of ASD and encode proteins that are important in transcriptional and translational regulation. We focus on the interplay between dysregulated translation and transcription in ASD with the hypothesis that dysregulation of each synthetic process triggers a feedback loop to act on the other, which ultimately exacerbates ASD pathophysiology. Finally, we summarize findings from interdisciplinary studies that pave the way for the investigation of the cooperative impact of different genes and pathways underlying the development of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Longo
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric Klann
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Feng C, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Yan Y, Yang M, Gui H, Wang M. PTEN Regulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis via the AKT/GSK-3β/PGC-1α Pathway in Autism. Neuroscience 2021; 465:85-94. [PMID: 33895342 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a widespread, complex and serious neurodevelopmental disorder. Complex genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to the development of ASD. Genome-wide association analysis has identified multiple autism-related genes. Mutation of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) is closely related to autism and accounts for 5-17% of cases of autism. However, the detailed mechanism is still unclear. Recently, mitochondrial dysfunction was tightly associated with ASD pathogenesis, such as developmental degeneration, learning and various behavioral disorders. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in children with autism is also significantly increased. The correlation between Pten and mitochondrial dysfunction in autism is still unknown. In this study, we examined how Pten regulates mitochondrial biogenesis through the AKT/GSK-3β/PGC-1α signaling pathways. We found that PTEN could dephosphorylate AKT to inhibit its activity, leading to decreased GSK3β phosphorylation. This decrease in GSK3β phosphorylation, which could activate itself, increased PGC-1α phosphorylation to promote its degradation and then regulated mitochondrial biogenesis by NRF-1 and TFAM downstream of PGC-1α. In the Valproic acid (VPA) induced autism mouse model, the PTEN protein level was significantly decreased while PGC-1α and COX IV levels were increased in the hippocampus and cortex. Our data suggest that there is a correlation between PTEN and mitochondrial dysfunction and this correlation may be a potential mechanism of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Feng
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Yajing Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Yuyang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China; Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Yinghui Yan
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Mengjie Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Huan Gui
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Mei Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China.
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Hardan AY, Jo B, Frazier TW, Klaas P, Busch RM, Dies KA, Filip-Dhima R, Snow AV, Eng C, Hanna R, Zhang B, Sahin M. A randomized double-blind controlled trial of everolimus in individuals with PTEN mutations: Study design and statistical considerations. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2021; 21:100733. [PMID: 33644493 PMCID: PMC7887633 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This randomized, double-blind controlled trial of everolimus in individuals with germline phosphatase and tensin homolog mutations (PTEN) was designed to evaluate the safety of everolimus compared with placebo and to evaluate the efficacy of everolimus on neurocognition and behavior compared to placebo as measured by standardized neurocognitive and motor measures as well as behavioral questionnaires. The safety profile of everolimus is characterized by manageable adverse events that are generally reversible and non-cumulative. The primary safety endpoint of this study was drop-out rate due to side effects, comparing everolimus versus placebo. We also sought to determine the frequency of adverse events by type and severity. The main efficacy endpoint was a neurocognitive composite computed in two ways: 1) an average for working memory, processing speed, and fine motor subtests; and 2) the same average as above except weighted 2/3, and an additional average based on all other available neurocognitive testing measures assessing the additional domains of nonverbal ability, visuomotor skills, verbal learning, and receptive and expressive language, weighted 1/3. Secondary efficacy endpoints examined the effect of everolimus on overall global clinical improvement, autism symptoms, behavioral problems, and adaptive abilities as measured by validated, standardized instruments. We predicted that the rate of adverse events would be no more than 10% higher in the everolimus group compared to placebo, and overall severity of side effects would be minimal. We also expected that individuals receiving everolimus would show more improvement, relative to those taking placebo, on the composite neurocognitive index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Y Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thomas W Frazier
- Autism Speaks, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA.,Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Patricia Klaas
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Robyn M Busch
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kira A Dies
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rajna Filip-Dhima
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anne V Snow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Germline High Risk Cancer Focus Group, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Rabi Hanna
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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36
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Frazier TW, Jaini R, Busch RM, Wolf M, Sadler T, Klaas P, Hardan AY, Martinez-Agosto JA, Sahin M, Eng C. Cross-level analysis of molecular and neurobehavioral function in a prospective series of patients with germline heterozygous PTEN mutations with and without autism. Mol Autism 2021; 12:5. [PMID: 33509259 PMCID: PMC7841880 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00406-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background PTEN is a well-established risk gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, little is known about how PTEN mutations and associated molecular processes influence neurobehavioral function in mutation carriers with (PTEN-ASD) and without ASD (PTEN no-ASD). The primary aim of the present study was to examine group differences in peripheral blood-derived PTEN pathway protein levels between PTEN-ASD, PTEN no-ASD, and idiopathic macrocephalic ASD patients (macro-ASD). Secondarily, associations between protein levels and neurobehavioral functions were examined in the full cohort.
Methods Patients were recruited at four tertiary medical centers. Peripheral blood-derived protein levels from canonical PTEN pathways (PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK) were analyzed using Western blot analyses blinded to genotype and ASD status. Neurobehavioral measures included standardized assessments of global cognitive ability and multiple neurobehavioral domains. Analysis of variance models examined group differences in demographic, neurobehavioral, and protein measures. Bivariate correlations, structural models, and statistical learning procedures estimated associations between molecular and neurobehavioral variables. To complement patient data, Western blots for downstream proteins were generated to evaluate canonical PTEN pathways in the PTEN-m3m4 mouse model.
Results Participants included 61 patients (25 PTEN-ASD, 16 PTEN no-ASD, and 20 macro-ASD). Decreased PTEN and S6 were observed in both PTEN mutation groups. Reductions in MnSOD and increases in P-S6 were observed in ASD groups. Elevated neural P-AKT/AKT and P-S6/S6 from PTEN murine models parallel our patient observations. Patient PTEN and AKT levels were independently associated with global cognitive ability, and p27 expression was associated with frontal sub-cortical functions. As a group, molecular measures added significant predictive value to several neurobehavioral domains over and above PTEN mutation status. Limitations Sample sizes were small, precluding within-group analyses. Protein and neurobehavioral data were limited to a single evaluation. A small number of patients were excluded with invalid protein data, and cognitively impaired patients had missing data on some assessments. Conclusions Several canonical PTEN pathway molecules appear to influence the presence of ASD and modify neurobehavioral function in PTEN mutation patients. Protein assays of the PTEN pathway may be useful for predicting neurobehavioral outcomes in PTEN patients. Future longitudinal analyses are needed to replicate these findings and evaluate within-group relationships between protein and neurobehavioral measures. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02461446
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA. .,Autism Speaks, Cleveland, OH, USA. .,Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.
| | - Ritika Jaini
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Robyn M Busch
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.,Department of Neurology and Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Matthew Wolf
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Tammy Sadler
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Patricia Klaas
- Department of Neurology and Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Antonio Y Hardan
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | | | - Mustafa Sahin
- Translational Neurosciences Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA. .,Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare, Cleveland Clinic Community Care and Population Health, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA. .,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA. .,Cleveland Clinic Genomic Medicine Institute, 9500 Euclid Avenue, NE-50, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.
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37
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Trovato F, Parra R, Pracucci E, Landi S, Cozzolino O, Nardi G, Cruciani F, Pillai V, Mosti L, Cwetsch AW, Cancedda L, Gritti L, Sala C, Verpelli C, Maset A, Lodovichi C, Ratto GM. Modelling genetic mosaicism of neurodevelopmental disorders in vivo by a Cre-amplifying fluorescent reporter. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6194. [PMID: 33273479 PMCID: PMC7713426 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19864-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic mosaicism, a condition in which an organ includes cells with different genotypes, is frequently present in monogenic diseases of the central nervous system caused by the random inactivation of the X-chromosome, in the case of X-linked pathologies, or by somatic mutations affecting a subset of neurons. The comprehension of the mechanisms of these diseases and of the cell-autonomous effects of specific mutations requires the generation of sparse mosaic models, in which the genotype of each neuron is univocally identified by the expression of a fluorescent protein in vivo. Here, we show a dual-color reporter system that, when expressed in a floxed mouse line for a target gene, leads to the creation of mosaics with tunable degree. We demonstrate the generation of a knockout mosaic of the autism/epilepsy related gene PTEN in which the genotype of each neuron is reliably identified, and the neuronal phenotype is accurately characterized by two-photon microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Trovato
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Parra
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrico Pracucci
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Landi
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Olga Cozzolino
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nardi
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federica Cruciani
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Vinoshene Pillai
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Mosti
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrzej W Cwetsch
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- Università degli studi di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- Istituto Telethon Dulbecco, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Sala
- Institute of Neuroscience CNR, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Maset
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Padova Università di Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Claudia Lodovichi
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Padova Università di Padova, Padua, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience CNR, Padua, Italy
| | - Gian Michele Ratto
- National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
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Garcia-Forn M, Boitnott A, Akpinar Z, De Rubeis S. Linking Autism Risk Genes to Disruption of Cortical Development. Cells 2020; 9:cells9112500. [PMID: 33218123 PMCID: PMC7698947 DOI: 10.3390/cells9112500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and social interaction, and the presence of repetitive behaviors and/or restricted interests. In the past few years, large-scale whole-exome sequencing and genome-wide association studies have made enormous progress in our understanding of the genetic risk architecture of ASD. While showing a complex and heterogeneous landscape, these studies have led to the identification of genetic loci associated with ASD risk. The intersection of genetic and transcriptomic analyses have also begun to shed light on functional convergences between risk genes, with the mid-fetal development of the cerebral cortex emerging as a critical nexus for ASD. In this review, we provide a concise summary of the latest genetic discoveries on ASD. We then discuss the studies in postmortem tissues, stem cell models, and rodent models that implicate recently identified ASD risk genes in cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Garcia-Forn
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.G.-F.); (A.B.); (Z.A.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Andrea Boitnott
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.G.-F.); (A.B.); (Z.A.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Zeynep Akpinar
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.G.-F.); (A.B.); (Z.A.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.G.-F.); (A.B.); (Z.A.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-212-241-0179
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McSweeney C, Dong F, Chen M, Vitale J, Xu L, Crowley N, Luscher B, Zou D, Mao Y. Full function of exon junction complex factor, Rbm8a, is critical for interneuron development. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:379. [PMID: 33154347 PMCID: PMC7644723 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01065-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of the nervous system requires a balance between proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural progenitors (NPs). Mutations in genes regulating development impede neurogenesis and lead to neuropsychiatric diseases, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and schizophrenia (SZ). Recently, mutations in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay genes have been associated with ASDs, intellectual disability (ID), and SZ. Here, we examine the function of a gene in the exon junction complex, Rbm8a, in the cortical development. When Rbm8a is selectively knocked out in neural stem cells, the resulting mice exhibit microcephaly, early postnatal lethality, and altered distribution of excitatory neurons in the neocortex. Moreover, Rbm8a haploinsufficiency in the central nervous system decreases cell proliferation in the ganglionic eminences. Parvalbumin+ and neuropeptide Y+ interneurons in the cortex are significantly reduced, and distribution of interneurons are altered. Consistently, neurons in the cortex of conditional knockout (cKO) mice show a significant decrease in GABA frequency. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differentially expressed genes enriched in telencephalon development and mitosis. To further investigate the role of Rbm8a in interneuron differentiation, conditional KO of Rbm8a in NKX2.1 interneuron progenitor cells reduces progenitor proliferation and alters interneuron distributions. Taken together, these data reveal a critical role of Rbm8a in interneuron development, and establish that perturbation of this gene leads to profound cortical deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen McSweeney
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Fengping Dong
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Miranda Chen
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Jessica Vitale
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Li Xu
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA ,grid.268505.c0000 0000 8744 8924Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 310053 Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Nicole Crowley
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Bernhard Luscher
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA ,grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Donghua Zou
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Department of Neurology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 530021, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
| | - Yingwei Mao
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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40
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Shukla V, Rani S, Malik S, Kumar V, Sadananda M. Neuromorphometric changes associated with photostimulated migratory phenotype in the Palaearctic-Indian male redheaded bunting. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:2245-2256. [PMID: 32719907 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05888-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Neural substrates, including brain areas, differential gene expression and neuroendocrine basis, of migration are known. However, very little is known about structural changes in the brain that underlie the development and cessation of migration in long-distance avian migrants. Towards this, we investigated neuromorphological changes in the higher-order associative areas in male redheaded bunting (Emberiza bruniceps), which is a Palaearctic-Indian night migrant with wintering grounds in India. Photosensitive birds (8L:16D; SD) were exposed to stimulatory long days (16L:8D; LD), with controls retained on non-stimulatory short days. LD birds depicted shifts to, and sustained night-time activity as recorded by actograms. LD birds demonstrated increased body mass, fat deposition and testicular volume in keeping with the migratory phenotype. When LD birds had exhibited 10.0 ± 2.4 cycles of Zugunruhe (intense nighttime activity in captives, akin to night migratory flight in the wild), bird brains were fixed by transcardial perfusion, and changes in the neuronal morphometry of pallial, sub-pallial and hypothalamic brain regions studied using rapid Golgi technique with modifications, as used and validated in our laboratory. There were significant differences in both area and perimeter of soma in the visual hyperpallium apicale implicated in migratory orientation and the neuroendocrine control region for timing of migration, the mediobasal hypothalamus. We attribute these neuromorphometric changes in the soma area and perimeter to the photostimulated changes associated with the development of migration and reproductive phenotypes in redheaded buntings. It is suggested that changes in the neuronal plasticity in brain control regions parallel photoperiod-induced physiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Shukla
- Brain Research Laboratory, Biotechnology Unit, Department of Biosciences, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri, 574199, Karnataka, India
| | - Sangeeta Rani
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, 226007, India
| | - Shalie Malik
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, 226007, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Monika Sadananda
- Brain Research Laboratory, Biotechnology Unit, Department of Biosciences, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri, 574199, Karnataka, India.
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Clipperton-Allen AE, Page DT. Connecting Genotype with Behavioral Phenotype in Mouse Models of Autism Associated with PTEN Mutations. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2020; 10:cshperspect.a037010. [PMID: 31871231 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a037010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A subset of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and macrocephaly carry mutations in the gene PTEN. Animal models, particularly mice, have been helpful in establishing a causal role for Pten mutations in autism-relevant behavioral deficits. These models are a useful tool for investigating neurobiological mechanisms of these behavioral phenotypes and developing potential therapeutic interventions. Here we provide an overview of various genetic mouse models that have been used to characterize behavioral phenotypes caused by perturbation of Pten We discuss convergent and divergent phenotypes across models with the aim of highlighting a set of behavioral domains that are sensitive to the effects of Pten mutation and that may provide useful readouts for translational and basic neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Damon T Page
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, USA
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42
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Kim JE, Park H, Lee JE, Kim TH, Kang TC. PTEN Is Required for The Anti-Epileptic Effects of AMPA Receptor Antagonists in Chronic Epileptic Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165643. [PMID: 32781725 PMCID: PMC7460838 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) is one of the ligand-gated ion channels for glutamate, which is an important player in the generation and spread of seizures. The efficacy of AMPAR functionality is regulated by the trafficking, synaptic targeting, and phosphorylation. Paradoxically, AMPAR expression and its phosphorylation level are decreased in the epileptic hippocampus. Therefore, the roles of AMPAR in seizure onset and neuronal hyperexcitability in ictogenesis remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that AMPAR antagonists (perampanel and GYKI 52466) decreased glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 1 (GRIA1) surface expression in the epileptic rat hippocampus. They also upregulated phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression and restored to basal levels the upregulated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT1 phosphorylations. Dipotassium bisperoxovanadium(pic) dihydrate (BpV(pic), a PTEN inhibitor) co-treatment abolished the anti-epileptic effects of perampanel and GYKI 52466. Therefore, our findings suggest that PTEN may be required for the anti-epileptic effects of AMPAR antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Eun Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
- Institute of Epilepsy Research, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
| | - Hana Park
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
- Institute of Epilepsy Research, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
- Institute of Epilepsy Research, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
| | - Tae-Hyun Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
- Institute of Epilepsy Research, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
| | - Tae-Cheon Kang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
- Institute of Epilepsy Research, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
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43
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White AR, Tiwari D, MacLeod MC, Danzer SC, Gross C. PI3K isoform-selective inhibition in neuron-specific PTEN-deficient mice rescues molecular defects and reduces epilepsy-associated phenotypes. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 144:105026. [PMID: 32712265 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy affects all ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic groups. In about one third of patients, epilepsy is uncontrolled with current medications, leaving a vast need for improved therapies. The causes of epilepsy are diverse and not always known but one gene mutated in a small subpopulation of patients is phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Moreover, focal cortical dysplasia, which constitutes a large fraction of refractory epilepsies, has been associated with signaling defects downstream of PTEN. So far, most preclinical attempts to reverse PTEN deficiency-associated neurological deficits have focused on mTOR, a signaling hub several steps downstream of PTEN. Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks), by contrast, are the direct enzymatic counteractors of PTEN, and thus may be alternative treatment targets. PI3K activity is mediated by four different PI3K catalytic isoforms. Studies in cancer, where PTEN is commonly mutated, have demonstrated that inhibition of only one isoform, p110β, reduces progression of PTEN-deficient tumors. Importantly, inhibition of a single PI3K isoform leaves critical functions of general PI3K signaling throughout the body intact. Here, we show that this disease mechanism-targeted strategy borrowed from cancer research rescues or ameliorates neuronal phenotypes in male and female mice with neuron-specific PTEN deficiency. These phenotypes include cell signaling defects, protein synthesis aberrations, seizures, and cortical dysplasia. Of note, p110β is also dysregulated and a promising treatment target in the intellectual disability Fragile X syndrome, pointing towards a shared biological mechanism that is therapeutically targetable in neurodevelopmental disorders of different etiologies. Overall, this work advocates for further assessment of p110β inhibition not only in PTEN deficiency-associated neurodevelopmental diseases but also other brain disorders characterized by defects in the PI3K/mTOR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R White
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Durgesh Tiwari
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45229, USA
| | - Molly C MacLeod
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Steve C Danzer
- Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45229, USA
| | - Christina Gross
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45229, USA.
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44
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Skelton PD, Stan RV, Luikart BW. The Role of PTEN in Neurodevelopment. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2020; 5:60-71. [PMID: 32399470 PMCID: PMC7206585 DOI: 10.1159/000504782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PTEN is a lipid and protein phosphatase that regulates cell growth and survival. Mutations to PTEN are highly penetrant for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we briefly review the evidence linking PTEN mutations to ASD and the mouse models that have been used to study the role of PTEN in neurodevelopment. We then focus on the cellular phenotypes associated with PTEN loss in neurons, highlighting the role PTEN plays in neuronal proliferation, migration, survival, morphology, and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick D. Skelton
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Radu V. Stan
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Bryan W. Luikart
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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45
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Abstract
Germline pathogenic phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) mutations cause PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS), characterized by various benign and malignant tumors of the thyroid, breast, endometrium, and other organs. Patients with PHTS may present with other clinical features such as macrocephaly, intestinal polyposis, cognitive changes, and pathognomonic skin changes. Clinically, deregulation of PTEN function is implicated in other human diseases in addition to many types of human cancer. PTEN is an important phosphatase that counteracts one of the most critical cancer pathways: the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathways. Although PTEN can dephosphorylate lipids and proteins, it also has functions independent of phosphatase activity in normal and pathological states. It is positively and negatively regulated at the transcriptional level as well as posttranslationally by phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, oxidation, and acetylation. Although most of its tumor-suppressor activity is likely to be caused by lipid dephosphorylation at the plasma membrane, PTEN also resides in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and its subcellular distribution is under strict control. In this review, we highlight our current knowledge of PTEN function and recent discoveries in understanding PTEN function regulation and how this can be exploited therapeutically for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Ngeow
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798.,Cancer Genetics Service, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore 169610.,Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.,Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.,Germline High Risk Cancer Focus Group, CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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46
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Binder MS, Jones DG, Hodges SL, Lugo JN. NS-Pten adult knockout mice display both quantitative and qualitative changes in urine-induced ultrasonic vocalizations. Behav Brain Res 2020; 378:112189. [PMID: 31586563 PMCID: PMC7000110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The NS-Pten knockout (KO) mouse exhibits hyperactivity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and is a model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD presents with marked deficits in communication which can be elucidated by investigating their counterpart in mice, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). While USVs have been found to be altered in NS-Pten KO pups, no study has assessed whether this communication deficit persists into adulthood. In the present study, we investigate female urine-induced USVs, scent marking behavior, and open field activity in NS-Pten KO and wildtype (WT) adult male mice. Results showed that there was no difference in the quantity of vocalizations produced between groups, however, there were extensive alterations in the spectral properties of USVs. KO mice emitted vocalizations of a lower peak frequency, shorter duration, and higher peak amplitude compared to WT mice. KO animals also emitted a significantly different distribution of call-types relative to controls, displaying increased complex and short calls, but fewer upward, chevron, frequency steps, and composite calls. No significant differences between groups were observed for scent marking behavior and there was no difference between groups in the amount of time spent near the female urine. Overall, this study demonstrated that mTOR hyperactivity contributes to communication deficits in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Binder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Dalton G Jones
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Samantha L Hodges
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco TX 76798, USA
| | - Joaquin N Lugo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA; Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco TX 76798, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA.
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47
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Neuronal deletion of phosphatase and tensin homolog results in cerebellar motor learning dysfunction and alterations in intracellular signaling. Neuroreport 2019; 30:556-561. [PMID: 30920436 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this investigation was to examine cerebellar levels of several molecular signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and markers of neuronal migration, following loss of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene in a subset of neurons, as well as the accompanying behavior phenotype in mice. Motor coordination and learning were measured by the sticker removal task and the accelerating rotarod. Western blots were conducted on cerebellar tissue samples. We demonstrated that neuron subset-specific deletion of PTEN in mice led to deficits in motor coordination. These changes were accompanied by alterations in many different proteins, including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, FMRP, glutamate receptors, and neuronal migration markers. These data firstly support a role for hyperactivation of mTOR in the cerebellum following the loss of PTEN, accompanied by behavioral deficits. Moreover, the results of the current study support a broader role for PTEN signaling in early neuronal migration and organization of the cerebellum, and point to a putative role for PTEN in many neuropsychiatric conditions.
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48
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Rademacher S, Eickholt BJ. PTEN in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:cshperspect.a036780. [PMID: 31427284 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a036780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a classical tumor suppressor that antagonizes phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling. Although there is a strong association of PTEN germline mutations with cancer syndromes, they have also been described in a subset of patients with autism spectrum disorders with macrocephaly characterized by impairments in social interactions and communication, repetitive behavior and, occasionally, epilepsy. To investigate PTEN's role during neurodevelopment and its implication for autism, several conditional Pten knockout mouse models have been generated. These models are valuable tools to understand PTEN's spatiotemporal roles during neurodevelopment. In this review, we will highlight the anatomical and phenotypic results from animal studies and link them to cellular and molecular findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Rademacher
- Institute of Biochemistry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Britta J Eickholt
- Institute of Biochemistry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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49
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Chen CJ, Sgritta M, Mays J, Zhou H, Lucero R, Park J, Wang IC, Park JH, Kaipparettu BA, Stoica L, Jafar-Nejad P, Rigo F, Chin J, Noebels JL, Costa-Mattioli M. Therapeutic inhibition of mTORC2 rescues the behavioral and neurophysiological abnormalities associated with Pten-deficiency. Nat Med 2019; 25:1684-1690. [PMID: 31636454 PMCID: PMC7082835 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0608-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, which is mediated by two structurally and functionally distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, has been implicated in several neurological disorders1-3. Individuals carrying loss-of-function mutations in the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene, a negative regulator of mTOR signaling, are prone to developing macrocephaly, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), seizures and intellectual disability2,4,5. It is generally believed that the neurological symptoms associated with loss of PTEN and other mTORopathies (for example, mutations in the tuberous sclerosis genes TSC1 or TSC2) are due to hyperactivation of mTORC1-mediated protein synthesis1,2,4,6,7. Using molecular genetics, we unexpectedly found that genetic deletion of mTORC2 (but not mTORC1) activity prolonged lifespan, suppressed seizures, rescued ASD-like behaviors and long-term memory, and normalized metabolic changes in the brain of mice lacking Pten. In a more therapeutically oriented approach, we found that administration of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting mTORC2's defining component Rictor specifically inhibits mTORC2 activity and reverses the behavioral and neurophysiological abnormalities in adolescent Pten-deficient mice. Collectively, our findings indicate that mTORC2 is the major driver underlying the neuropathophysiology associated with Pten-deficiency, and its therapeutic reduction could represent a promising and broadly effective translational therapy for neurological disorders where mTOR signaling is dysregulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Ju Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Martina Sgritta
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jacqunae Mays
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hongyi Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rocco Lucero
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jin Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - I-Ching Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jun Hyoung Park
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Benny Abraham Kaipparettu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Loredana Stoica
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Jeannie Chin
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Noebels
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mauro Costa-Mattioli
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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50
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Pten loss results in inappropriate excitatory connectivity. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:1627-1640. [PMID: 30967683 PMCID: PMC6785382 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0412-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Pten mutations are associated with autism spectrum disorder. Pten loss of function in neurons increases excitatory synaptic connectivity, contributing to an imbalance between excitation and inhibition. We aimed to determine whether Pten loss results in aberrant connectivity in neural circuits. We compared postnatally generated wild-type and Pten knockout granule neurons integrating into the dentate gyrus using a variety of methods to examine their connectivity. We found that postsynaptic Pten loss provides an advantage to dendritic spines in competition over a limited pool of presynaptic boutons. Retrograde monosynaptic tracing with rabies virus reveals that this results in synaptic contact with more presynaptic partners. Using independently excitable opsins to interrogate multiple inputs onto a single neuron, we found that excess connectivity is established indiscriminately from among glutamatergic afferents. Therefore, Pten loss results in inappropriate connectivity whereby neurons are coupled to a greater number of synaptic partners.
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